The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1887-12-21


here, now. n.y. nosalizsng gae, come 0at
+ OF the pulpit ami be 4 naa among men
( 1 aiss going 10 get into that jacket 80 i.,.i-
ed. - small for me now. an going te
buckle on that sword. ii IL does compel
erowdiug, bad language reseiiioa. psins,
and being carried or the field sRo0nius.
as some ladies are beiines, because of
the uyr04r and rsgs of tine siiseosasno.led
guests within. Well, it happened on THIS
wise that found myself fsiIiyering on the
banks Of the Rappahannock on Christ
mas Day, 1852, enlisted fer taree years or
during the var, fooi for vilIain5aS s4it-
petns.
One day in June, ls62, our Professor Of
Mathematics remarked, as Le closed the
Observatory:
Gentlemen. what Mars Is up 10 in the
sky doesn't concern as most Just now,
but 70 do our share of his work siown in
Virginia The only exact Silence worth
studying these times * not trigonolnstFy,
ont to determine the shortest !ias to
Richnond and the most pressing dusg
Of the hour is not 70 prove right angles
equal but 20 draw a steady aim thfoArh
rite sights at a rebel IA arms, and to
+ prove to all the world that the American
Uuion can. must, and shall BE- preserved.
Gentlemen, the chair Of Professor of
Mathematics is vacant IN this college
permit me to introdnce 70 you Captain
Fr;lser.'
'Rah 'rah 'rlh and away we went
md enlisied-io 20 TO Richmond. Ii
took Us three years TO get there. No won
der; there were 50 many Lonsstreets to
make our way through 81 many Hills
70 climb; 50 many Stonewails to batter
down so many Picketts to clear out of
the way. II WAS as hard a road
to travel as the steep and stony one to
heaven
No preaching sir Csnf you forget the
shop? Don't you know you have squeez-
ed yourself into THAI faded jacket ana
are squiuning, with i flushed FACE ami
short breath-, behind that sword-belf,
hich has caused rebel hon "a s,ss.lias
re- | started for Richmond in July, 1852,
a lad eighteen years old, Junior ia col-
lege, and chatting to be at ito double
quick II after John Browns soul. which.
since It did rot require knalsack, Or
three days ratsoHs or a esnleen, or
halt during the night for sleep, was al
Ways marching on. On the night before
Christmas, loo3, | Nas a dejeaed young
patriot, Visiting hadn done IL. shivef-
ing in the open weather 4 miie back 81
the Rsppalidnnock, on the reserve pics-
es and exposed 10 .rss snow storm.
There was Aot stick u woosi within iee
miles OF u All cai iowu. even the rools
OF trees dug up and baraef we isy
doWn on onr rihber blankets pall,..i our
wo 'len biankets eser uz.sasooged il ls
close as we could get, To steal Warmth
from our comrades, and tried not to
cry
Next morning the snow lay heavy ana
deep, and the men, when walked an
looked about me, reminded me of
chuEch grave-y .rd in winter. The SHOW
covered us all. and my comrades. seemed
M if a small eeinetery--just ike a grave
yard and its mounds. Fail in for pick
et duty There, tome, Moore, sIcManus.
Paxton, Perrine, Pollock fall inr' We
fell in, of course. No breakElst chilled
to the marrow snow foot deep. We
tightened our belts on our empty siom-
achs, seized our rifles, ami marched to
the river to take our six hours On duty
It was Christmas Day. ls62 And 20
this Is war" my old me said to himself.
while he paced in the wet snow his two
hours on the rivers bank And am
oGt mere 20 shoot that lean, lank, cou1h-
ing. eada5erous booking butteraut fellow
over the river 80 this is war this is
being a soldier this Is the genuine arti-
Gle this is II. Greeley's On % Rich
uion.i. Well, wish he were only here
in MY place, running TO keep warm
pounding his arms and breast To make
the chilled blood circuiate. 81. d.is /, ,-,r.
trampin up ana down this river my atty
yards with wet feet, empty stomach,
swollen nose
Alas. while lying under the trees in
the college campus last June, war meant
to ne martial music gorgeous brigadiers
in blue and gold tail young men in line,
shining in brass War meant 10 me tu-
multuous memories of Bunker Hill, C;e-
sar's Tenth Legion, the charge of the Six
Hundred-anvthing but this. Pshaw |
wish were home Let me see. Home
Ciui's country A tear YES, il II IA tear
What are they doing at hone2 This is
Christmas Day, 1862 Home? Well,
stockings on the wall. candy, turkey, fun.
merry Christmas, and The face of the girl
leit behind. Another tear ? Yes,
couldn't help it; vas only eighteen,
and there MAS such contrast between
Christmas, 1862, on the Rappahannock,
an" oinef ''iifistilaa-es. LES, tuefe Was
girl, too-such sweet ewes, su b long
'''siie-' S'ieh i io~, 'en'ier soiee Come,
move qaieNer VINO goes There sh'it
the fihe ironi one aching shoulder 10 the
otneh
heii"' johnny ~Aatare you up to
ii'e riNer NSs narrow out deep and